Chanel
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DETAILS
This watch is made by the watchmaking department of a famous fashion brand that belongs to a close circle of such companies that are characterized by a very serious, thoughtful approach to the development of the métier of haute horlogerie. Apart from Chanel, there are only a few fashion brands such as Louis Vuitton, Hermes and perhaps one or two others that play this game seriously. The importance of the Monsieur de Chanel watch and its Chanel 1 caliber in the development of the Chanel watch collection cannot be underestimated. First of all, it is the brand’s first in-house movement. This means that it was developed by specialists in the watchmaking department and largely manufactured in this department. This is certainly a rarity for a watch that bears the name of a famous fashion designer on the dial, as design is usually the main focus here. However, this is not to say that this is not relevant for the Monsieur de Chanel watch. It is characterized by its own style and allusions to elements from the brand’s design portfolio, including the stylized lion’s face and the outline of Place Vendôme, but in terms of rarity and collector’s value, the presence of an in-house caliber is much more important.
REASONS TO BUY
The Monsieur de Chanel in platinum with a black enamel dial is a very rare watch that was launched in 2017. Although the brand has announced a limited edition of 100 watches, there is every reason to believe that this platinum version was not produced in its entirety – very few examples have surfaced on the secondary market. The movement of the Monsieur de Chanel watch is definitely a significant technical development, with the high-quality craftsmanship one would expect from an independent watchmaker rather than a fashion brand, and we can say the same about the unusual arrangement of the displays – entirely in keeping with the upmarket positioning of the watch. The clearly recognizable Chanel style, the platinum case and the genuine black grand feu enamel dial form a charismatic triad that contributes significantly to the appeal of this watch.
ABOUT THIS WATCH
The first two versions of the Monsieur de Chanel watch were presented by the brand in 2016, this example the third limited edition of 100 pieces in platinum, presented in 2017, the year of the 30th anniversary of the brand’s watch division. Platinum is an extremely rare choice for the Chanel watch collection. For the collector, another feature is no less enticing, namely the black grand feu enamel dial. The black grand feu enamel technique is difficult to execute, which is why you won’t find many modern watches with black enamel dials on the market. For watches from the Chanel collection, the use of black enamel had a special meaning, as black is the symbolic color of the fashion house.
Returning to the importance of design in fashion brand watches, we would like to note that at first look at the back of the watch, it is clear that the Chanel 1 caliber is certainly a designer product, in addition to its significant technical features. Its structure is dominated by the central main gear bridge, which in this case is also a barrel bridge. It has an unusual, spectacular ring shape, so that the bearing jewels of the arbors of the two barrels and the two axles of the main gear train are mounted along the circumference of the bridge. Almost all the wheels of a caliber are visible, which is normally the case with skeletonized calibers, whereas this movement has no skeletonization. The plate and bridges are in black, which together with the rhodium-plated wheels creates Chanel’s preferred black and white color scheme. Visible wheels have an important feature – they give the watch owner the feeling of being involved in the magic of watchmaking, which is very important for haute horlogerie watches. It is also important to mention that Romain Gauthier, a respected independent watchmaker, has made a remarkable contribution to the production of the Chanel 1 caliber. He manufactures some parts of the movement, most notably the wheels. His involvement can be seen in the high-quality finishing of the wheels with five-pointed spokes, which are a traditional choice in watchmaking, but also in the double and also five-pointed spokes of the free-sprung balance with the timing screws – these form a star that further expresses the Chanel brand image in this watch. In addition to this collaboration with Chanel, the fact that Romain Gauthier has sold part of his company to the brand makes him, in a way, a member of the team that Chanel was obviously looking for.
The Monsieur de Chanel watch has a rare functionality that is an important part of its appeal. The dial has a digital jumping hour in combination with a small seconds hand and a retrograde minute, which has a rare function – it can be set forwards or backwards without damaging the movement. This is a very useful feature of the Chanel 1 caliber that allows the watch owner to set the time without fear of damaging the precious watch.
Specifications
| Ref | H6597 | |
| D= | 40mm | |
| Glass | Sapfire glass | |
| Case material | Platinum | |
| Dial | Black Grand Feu enamel, polished rhodium-plated hands | |
| Functions | Jumping hours, 240° retrograde minutes, small seconds | |
| Movement | Mechanical hand-winding |
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS:
